Tuesday, March 10, 2009

The government recently decided to pay Nu 300,000 each as medical scholarship grant for private medical students admitted in medical colleges within the SAARC countries including Thailand and Cuba. The government said that such grants would be provided until the time the requirements of medical doctors in Bhutan are adequately met.

Wow! That was a nice gesture! However, I believe that it was not a wise decision!

“Private medical students” means a lot of money and because their parents have the required amount to make their children pursue medicine, they were sent to do such courses privately. What is the logic in giving grants to the ones who can afford it otherwise as well?

All those students who go for medicine privately are a sheer indication that they are from affluent backgrounds. Most of them are children of Dashos and Lyonpos or anyone who earns hell of an amount in the country. What is the need to provide grants to such people? I don’t see logic here. Wait a minute. Or do I see a hidden logic behind this.

Probably, most medical students this time may be sons and daughters of anyone from the ruling party. Now, who framed the idea for the scholarship grant? Of course, the government. Who is the government? Of course, the ruling party. And who benefits from the grant? Obviously, those in the ruling party as it’s their children who are pursuing medicine. (You should take into consideration the importance of ‘probably’ and ‘may be’ here)

Wake up, policy makers! Instead of feeding the already full stomachs, there are so many hungry bellies who have the ‘it’ thing in them but are dying because of the lack of support. What say about helping the ones who can not afford rather than letting the pockets of the ‘haves’ bulge more and more?

I agree that the country has inadequate number of doctors. But, what makes the government so sure that the ones whom they provide the grant to will come back and work as doctors in Bhutan when they get better package else where for the same profession?

I firmly believe that giving such grants to the needy ones will make them capture the magnitude of the government’s support that will make them ever grateful to the government. The outcome of such gesture will be a rise in loyal and dedicated doctors in the country.